Our guest is Kathryn Jablokow, an Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Engineering Design at Penn State University. Her teaching and research interests include problem solving, invention, and creativity in science and engineering, as well as robotics and computational dynamics.

Despite an initial interest in physics, Kathryn transferred her major to electrical engineering so that she could “build things” and programmatically control them.

A well-known model of cognitive style is Kirton’s Adaption-Innovation theory. A normal distribution exists across this continuum, both for the general public and for engineering professionals.

Our cognitive style remains fairly fixed over time, although we are capable of engaging in creative activities that are either more adaptive or more creative than we like, hence making us “uncomfortable.”

Neither adaptive creativity or innovative creativity is better than the other; each can be beneficial depending on the problem and situation at hand.

We perceive those with a differing cognitive style to have a lower cognitive level.

Motive describes our willingness to stick with a problem until it is solved, and each of us is motivated by a different set of intrinsic and extrinsic factors.

Opportunity describes whether or not we perceive the conditions around us as being amenable to creative solutions.

Technical managers may have to overcome both “person-person” and “person-problem” gaps.

Mechanical engineer Herb Roberts shares his stories of developing an advanced jet engine for the US military in this episode of The Engineering Commons podcast.

Jeff admits he’s never torn apart an engine, although he spent a lot of time repairing his 1968 Pontiac Firebird convertible, which had an incredible knack for discovering inopportune times to break down by the side of the road.

Instead of rebuilding engines, Jeff was far more likely to be found fooling around with his father’s “Trash 80” computer (from soon-to-be-defunct Radio Shack).

Our guest for this episode is Herb Roberts, a professional engineer who helped develop a Pratt & Whitney turbofan engine to power the U.S. military’s F22 stealth fighter.

Herb seemed to exhibit “The Knack” from an early age, and enjoyed building Heathkit devices.

Herb once worked at the Raspet Flight Research Laboratory (RFRL), named for aeronautic innovator Gus Raspet. The facility, located on the campus of Mississippi State University, is well-known for developing advanced composite materials.

While a student at MSU, our guest worked on some of the earliest unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Herb also worked with engineers from Honda as they began their development of the HondaJet.

Two teams competed for the F22 contract in 1986: Team A was Lockheed/Boeing/General Dynamics, and Team B was Northrop/McDonnell-Douglas.

A turbofan’s bypass ratio divides the mass flow rate of air drawn through the fan disk (thus bypassing the engine core) by the mass flow rate of air passing through the engine’s combustion chamber.

When work on the F119 engine began, Pratt & Whitney engineers didn’t know what the associated airframe would look like, or even how many engines would be required.

While Pratt & Whitney used advanced materials to lower engine weight, General Electric increased efficiency by implementing a variable-bypass design.

Herb describes a 1992 accident at Edwards Air Force Base, where an F22 crashed following a low-altitude pass over the airfield.

Prepared to engage in computer-aided design, our guest was mildly surprised to be assigned a drafting board on his first day at Pratt & Whitney.

Prior to the advent of finite element analysis (FEA), engineers would calculate stress and strains using “Roark’s Handbook.”

Despite its limitations, beam and plate analysis worked sufficiently well for Pratt & Whitney engineers to design the J58 engine that powered the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird.

Herb worked with his colleagues to develop model elements, based on the “rule of mixtures,” that permited three-dimensional structural analysis.

As a result of being moved from “non-exempt” to “exempt” employment status after his first year on the job, Herb actually took a pay cut despite receiving a six percent raise, as his overtime income was substantially reduced.